Ireland Sevens Squads Named For International Rugby 7s

IRFU Director of Sevens and Women’s Rugby, Anthony Eddy, has today named the Ireland Men’s and Women’s Sevens squads for this weekend’s International Rugby 7s tournament at St George’s Park.

The three-day tournament is being hosted by GB Sevens and will take place between 15-17 May at the Football Association’s National Training Centre at St George’s Park.

A return to competition rugby is a welcome boost for the Ireland squads and an important building block as they gear up towards a busy summer schedule, with Ireland Men preparing for June’s World Rugby Sevens Repechage, the final qualification event for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Billy Dardis will once again captain the Ireland Men, with Eddy selecting a 16-player squad for this weekend’s tournament.

Munster Academy Players Alex Kendellen, Conor Phillips and Jack Crowley, who starred for Ireland U20s last season and this year made his senior debut for the Province, are all included for the first time having trained with the squad at the IRFU High Performance Centre in recent months.

Alex Kendellen ©INPHO

Ulster’s Aaron Sexton, Ben Moxham and Jude Postlethwaite, and former Leinster centre Gavin Mullin, are also named in the panel alongside the likes of Dardis, Jordan Conroy, Terry Kennedy, Aaron O’Sullivan and Hugo Lennox, who have all featured for Ireland on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

Ireland Men will face hosts Great Britain and USA, with each team playing two games per day and points to be gained towards the final standings throughout the three days.

Lucy Mulhall, meanwhile, will lead an exciting 16-player Ireland Women’s squad into their first competitive action of the season, as they go head-to-head with hosts Great Britain and France.

Having recently featured in the Women’s Six Nations for Adam Griggs’ Ireland, Stacey Flood, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe, Eve Higgins, Grace Moore, Brittany Hogan and Emily Lane are all included, while Méabh Deely, Aoibheann Reilly and Kate Farrell McCabe, who have all come through the IRFU Women’s Development Pathway, will hope to impress further on the international stage.

Amee Leigh Murphy-Crowe ©INPHO

Commenting ahead of the tournament, Eddy said: “We are really looking forward to getting back to international competition and actually play some matches.

“This tournament provides a great opportunity to build towards the summer ahead and it is great preparation for the Men’s team leading into Monaco and the Olympic Repechage Tournament in June. Both our Men’s and Women’s teams will be exposed to some quality opposition throughout the tournament and the competition should be intense.

“We are very grateful for the opportunity and thankful for all the work that has taken place behind the scenes to allow us to participate in the tournament.”

The International Rugby 7s will be played behind-closed-doors and there will be a live stream on England Rugby channels, while there will be full coverage on IrishRugby.ie.

Ireland Men’s Sevens Squad For International Rugby 7s:

Alex Kendellen (UCC/Munster)
Aaron O’Sullivan (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Gavin Mullin (UCD)
Ian Fitzpatrick (Lansdowne)
Jude Postlethwaite (Banbridge/Ulster)
Conor Phillips (Young Munster/Munster)
Billy Dardis (Terenure College)(Captain)
Sean Cribbin (Suttonians)
Hugo Lennox (Skerries)
Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Ben Moxham (Ballymena/Ulster)
Terry Kennedy (St Mary’s College)
Rory Scholes (Irish Sevens)
Jordan Conroy (Buccaneers)
Duran Krummeck (Irish Sevens)
Aaron Sexton (Malone/Ulster).

Ireland Women’s Sevens Squad For International Rugby 7s:

Claire Boles (Railway Union/Ulster)
Megan Burns (Tullamore/Leinster)
Amee Leigh Murphy-Crowe (Railway Union/Munster)
Méabh Deely (Blackrock/Connacht)
Katie Fitzhenry (Blackrock/Leinster)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union/Leinster)
Katie Heffernan (Mullingar/Railway Union/Leinster)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union/Leinster)
Brittany Hogan (DCU/Ulster)
Emily Lane (Blackrock/Munster)
Maeve Liston (Blackrock/Ulster)
Kate Farrell McCabe (Suttonians/Leinster)
Grace Moore (Railway Union/IQ Rugby)
Lucy Mulhall (Rathdrum/Leinster)(Captain)
Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird (Old Belvedere/Munster)
Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock/Connacht).

International Rugby 7s Schedule:

Saturday 15th May:

Men:

Ireland v Great Britain, 10am
Ireland v USA, 1pm
Great Britain v USA, 4pm

Women:

Ireland v France, 10.22am
Great Britain v France, 1.22pm
Great Britain v Ireland, 4.22pm

Sunday 16th May:

Men:

Ireland v USA, 10am
Great Britain v USA, 1pm
Great Britain v Ireland, 4pm
Women:

Great Britain v France, 10.22am
Ireland v France, 1.22pm
Great Britain v Ireland, 4.22pm

Monday 17th May:

Men:

Ireland v USA, 10am
Great Britain v Ireland, 1pm
Great Britain v USA, 4pm

Women:

Ireland v France, 10.22am
Great Britain v Ireland, 1.22pm
Great Britain v France, 4.22pm.